THOUGHT

28
NEWS
UK holiday market to benefit from Brexit
The devaluation of the pound against other
currencies is persuading many people to plan
their holidays in Britain this year, as jetting off to
the sun is set to become much more expensive.
That’s the conclusion of award-winning
caravan, motorhome and campervan dealership
Salop Leisure after speaking to customers at the
West Midlands Caravan and Motorhome Show
in Shrewsbury, which unveiled the 2017 models
from leading manufacturers.
The show, held at Salop Leisure’s Emstrey
headquarters, attracted more than 20,000 visitors
– seven per cent up on last year’s event - over
nine days and produced record breaking sales.
“The main topic of conversation was Brexit
and the devaluation of the pound, which is
going to make overseas holidays a lot more
expensive,” said Salop Leisure’s chairman Tony
Bywater. “It seems that a lot more British people
will be staycationing this year, which is great
June Walden, who chairs the ISGA, with
Helen Culshaw of Ascendancy
Rio inspires
a website
The success of the Team GB
gymnasts in Rio has created a new
generation of youngsters wanting to
emulate Olympic medallists.
And the Independent Schools
Gymnastics Association has been working
with Shifnal-based Ascendancy Internet
Marketing to design a new website
to handle large amounts of data on a
national level.
The new website aims to provide
British youngsters with the information
and advice to help them on their way to
providing Team GB with further successful
gymnasts in the future.
Ascendancy director Helen Culshaw
said: “We were delighted to work with
the ISGA in designing their new website
and making it easier for users to access
information and advice. We have helped
make that path as smooth as possible.”
The new website is used by a
wide variety of people from teachers,
competition judges and coaches as well
as parents and pupils wanting to know
when and where competitions are. It also
allows people to download photos and full
sets of results.
news for us and the British tourism industry. We
were delighted with touring and static caravan,
motorhome and campervan sales at the show
and it was particularly pleasing to see a large
number of first time buyers, who ranged from
young families to retired couples.”
The Brexit theme continued when Salop
Leisure’s sales team attended the Motorhome
and Caravan Show at the NEC, Birmingham.
One of the top salesmen at the show was George
Harris, a touring sales executive at Salop Leisure,
who secured record sales
Mr Bywater said: “I have been involved in
the caravan industry for 50 years and I’m more
optimistic than ever about business prospects for
2017.
“I think it’s going to be a fantastic year for the
industry and our company, especially with the
opening of our new touring park alongside our
headquarters.”
Shropshire’s county
sports partnership –
Energize Shropshire,
Telford & Wrekin – has
welcomed two new
university interns to its
team.
Zara Morris and Bryony Lainton are
both working one day a week at the
Energize headquarters, based at the
University Centre Shrewsbury building.
Zara, 20, is a second year Sport
Management BSc student at University
Centre Shrewsbury, who is working on
various community-based sports and
Tony Bywater of Salop Leisure
Interns join the
Energize team
Zara Morris and Bryony Lainton – new interns at Energize Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin
coaching activities including the Women
Make Coaching initiative.
Bryony, 23, who lives near Wem, is in
her second year of a Business Studies BA
(Hons) course.
Helen White, business development
officer at Energize, said: “Zara and Bryony
have quickly embedded into the team, and
are providing extra support in some of our
key areas. They are helping to organise
coaching workshops, dealing with customer
enquiries, booking venues, and helping with
marketing.”
Energize helped the county’s schools,
community groups and voluntary sports
clubs to access more than half a million
pounds of funding to put on new or
improved activities during 2016.
NEWS
Small businesses meet challenges of National Living Wage
New research from the Federation of
Small Businesses has found that small
firms are meeting the challenge posed by
the new National Living Wage (NLW) –
absorbing the costs by taking lower profits.
Following the introduction of the new
wage in April, small businesses have
demonstrated their resilience in meeting
this challenge, the FSB says.
But it says some businesses have
struggled to do so.
The FSB’s quarterly business survey
found that 47 per cent of small businesses
now cite wages as the main contributor to
the rising cost of doing business.
The federation is now calling for the
County cranes for car plant
Shropshire-made cranes
are being supplied to
one of Britain’s big car
manufacturing plants.
A 35-tonne capacity overhead crane has been
installed at BMW’s Swindon MINI Plant by UK
lifting equipment manufacturers Pelloby Limited.
The electric travelling crane system, which
features a double girder design and wire rope
hoist unit, was commissioned as part of a project
to replace an older crane in the site’s press shop.
The finished crane, supplied by the Telfordbased
company, offers a 9.8m height of lift and spans 21.7m
between two pre-existing gantry supports. Walkways were
incorporated into the design on the external side of each of the
crane’s beams to provide access for maintenance and inspections.
Low Pay Commission to be given flexibility
on how to meet the Government’s NLW
target of 60 per cent median earnings by
2020.
The FSB wants this target to be
adjusted if it becomes clear the economy
cannot bear the rapid pace of NLW
increases. The NLW is currently projected
to rise by £1.85 per hour over the next four
years, reaching £9.05 by 2020.
FSB research found that the majority of
small business were already paying all their
staff above the new NLW of £7.20 an hour.
However, despite this, about a third
of businesses (32 per cent) said the new
wage has led to some increase in their
Wrekin college
Business School
29
wage costs and further one in five (19 per
cent) said labour costs went up significantly
as a result of the new wage.
Of the businesses that report
increasing labour costs from the NLW, the
majority of them (59 per cent) absorbed the
increased cost through reduced profitability.
However, the FSB says some firms
have had to take other action in order to
stay afloat, such as increasing their prices
(35 per cent), reducing staff hours (24 per
cent), cutting investment (23 per cent), and
recruiting fewer workers (16 per cent).
Some businesses also sought to meet
the increased cost through improved
efficiency (13 per cent).
In addition to designing, manufacturing and
delivering the 35 tonne crane, Pelloby also
project managed the removal of the existing
crane and installation of the new system.
Operator training was provided for the
BMW staff and to further guarantee the utmost
in workplace safety, an ongoing maintenance
contract was put in place which will see the
Pelloby team inspect the crane on a regular
basis.
BMW has also placed an order with Pelloby
The crane in place at Swindon for two more 35 tonne cranes to replace other
cranes in the press shop which are due to be
installed towards the end of this year.
Pelloby’s managing director Glen Hickman said: “It is a pleasure
to be able to supply cranes for various production processes taking
place at this plant.”
...or you could learn
about business
from a book.
Open Day Saturday 25th March 2017
Wrekin College, Wellington, Shropshire TF1 3BH
11-18 co-educational day and boarding school
www.wrekincollege.com
admissions@wrekincollege.com
01952 265603